Spring-hinge.



E. BOMMER.

SPRING HINGE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. 1913. RENEWED 00124, 1914.

1,131,667. Patented Mar.16,19l5.

Fgy. 2.

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THE NORRIS PETERS c0 PHOTO-LITHO WASHINGTON, D C

EMIL BOMMEE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPRING-HINGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

Application filed April 15, 1913, Serial No. 761,140. Renewed October 24, 1914. Serial No. 888,517.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMIL BOMMER, a citizen of the United States of America residing in New York, in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Hinges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved spring-hinge of that type which is attachec to the lower corner of a door and operated in connection with a stationary socket-plate attached to the floor below the hinge, and with a socket in the upper corner of the door connecting with a pivot of the doorcasing.

The invention relates more specifically to certain improvements in the spring-hinge for which Letters Patent were granted to me heretofore on January 10, 1911, No. 981,053, said improvements being designed with a view of simplifying the construction of the hinge by dispensing with a number of parts contained in the same, while accomplishing the same result, namely, the swing ing of the door in either direction and closing it under the influence of its springpower, and the release of the spring-power from the spring-hinge for permitting the placing of the door into open position and holding it yieldingly in this position at either side of the door-casing when. the door is not desired to be swung under the action of the spring into closed position; and for this purpose the invention consists of a spring-hinge of the type referred to which will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a side-elevation of a door with my improved spring-hinge shown in position at the lower corner thereof. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2, 2, Fig. 1, drawn on a larger scale, Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the springhinge and its floor-plate, Fig. 4L is a vertical transverse section on line 1, 4, Fig. 3, taken in the direction of the arrows, and in a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is also a vertical transverse section, taken. on line 5, 5, Fig. 3, in the direction of the arrows, so as to show the operating levers for setting the slide-plate by which the spring-power is released from the swingdoor, Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively detail elevations of the lower and upper ends of the stationary pintle, showing the horizontal guide-grooves and the connecting vertical guide-grooves on the same, and Figs. 8 and 9 are detail horizontal sections through the pintle and its spring-holders respectively on lines 8, 8 and 9, 9, Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate cor provided with a tapering socket Z) of square cross-section for receiving the lower corresponding-tapered and squared end 79 of the pintle P and holding it thereby in a nonrotatable position. On the lower end of the pintle P is journaled an oblong hinge-frame I" which is provided at its upper end with a hole into which, and into a socket at tle upper end of the pintle P, is inserted an auxiliary smaller pintle 72 by which the connection of the pintle with the hinge frame F of the spring-hinge is made. The hinge-frame F is provided with a vertical extension 7 at its upper and with a horizontal extension 7 at its lower end, which ends are attached to the door by means of fastening screws f as shown in Fig. 3.

The hinge-frame F is preferably made of cast-metal and covered at its outer vertical portion by a sheet-metal facing f which is lapped inwardly over the edges of the outer wall of the frame, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The spring-hinge is inclosed by sheet-metal side-plates f which are attached to the lower corner of the door and which serve to protect the interior parts of the springhinge against the ingress of dust. On the pintle P is arranged, at the interior of the frame F, a coil-spring S of sufficient power to return the door from its open to its closed position. The lower end of the coil-spring S is bent downwardly and inserted into a recess 72, of the lower spring-holder H, while the upper end of the coil-spring S is provided with an upwardly-bent end which is inserted into a recess k of the upper springholder H in the usual manner. The lower spring-holder H is provided with a lug Ir having an inclined and a vertical face on its sides. The upper spring-holder H is provided with radial holes h for inserting a tension-pin h by which the coilspring is set to tension in the usual manner. Above the upper spring-holder H is arranged a tension-collar 11 having a lug h with one vertical and one inclined face on its sides, said lug having a downwardly-extending stop h adapted to receive the recoil of the hingespring S upon the tension-pin h of the upper springholder l'l after the spring is set to tension and to transmit the same by interior pins h, if of the tension-collar 11 and of the lower spring-holder H to the ends or stops p and p of horizontal grooves 79 and p on the pintle P, and hold said interior pins 71. and h in contact therewith in order to retain the door in its normally closed position and to locate the lug [L5 of the lower spring-holder and the lug 72. of the tensioncollar in correct alinement for connection and disconnection with the lugs 2' and i of a slide plate I of the hinge-frame F. When the door is swung into open position in one or the other direction the recoil of the hinge spring S again returns the same to its normally closed position. The upper and lower ends of the pintle P are preferably made larger in diameter than the middle portion for arranging thereon the horizontal and vertical grooves 39 79 and 71319 at the upper and lower ends of the same. The inwardly-extending pin h of the tensioncollar 11 is adapted to travel in the horizontal groove 72 in the upper enlarged portion of the pintle P, while the inwardly-extending pin it of the lower spring-holder H is adapted to travel in the horizontal groove 29 in the lower enlarged portion of the pintle P. The length of the horizontal grooves 12 p is proportioned to the angle through which the door is desired to be opened, one horizontal groove extending in one, the other in the opposite direction from the ends or stops 7) and 79 at the farther end of each horizontal guide-groove so as to provide for opening the door in one or the opposite direction. The contact faces of the lugs 7L and b on the spring-holder H and tensioncollar H are held at all times when the coil-spring S is under tension in correct position or vertical alinement with each other, by the abutting of the interior pins h and 7&4 against the ends or stops p and p of the horizontal grooves 79 and 79 Between the upper horizontal portion of the hingeframe F and the tension-collar H on the auxiliary pintle 72 an antifrictionwasher or ball-bearing of an suitably construction, as shown for instance at a, may

or may not be interposed in order to take up the weight of the door upon the pintle and permit the easy and noiseless motion of the spring-hinge when opening or closing the door. The outer side of the inner vertical wall of the hinge-frame F is recessed and its recessed portion covered by a plate 7, which is attached by means of screws 7' to the hinge-frame, and between which and the hinge-frame is guided a slide-plate I that is provided with lugs 2' and 2' at the upper and lower ends, said lugs projecting inwardly through openings and 2' which are located in the upper and lower ends of the inner vertical'wall of the hinge-frame F. The

lugs 2' and i are located respectively to the 7 right and left of the vertical central line of the inner wall of the hinge-frame F and are guided along cheeks f and f on said vertical wall. adjacent to the openings 2' and i said checks 7 and 7 serving to increase the bearing surface for the lugs 2' and 2' of the slide-plate I against the pressure of the coilspring and permitting the sliding movement of the slide-plate I without straining the same. Within a recess of the inner vertical wall of the hinge-frame F adjacent to the slide-plate I is seated a helical spring 2' the upper end of which abuts against the upper end of the recess, while the lower end abuts on a shoulder of the slide-plate I, the spring exerting a suliicient pressure on the slide-plate for holding it in position for engaging the vertical faces of the lugs on the spring-holder H and tension-collar H when the door is to swing and close under the influence of the spring S of the hinge,,or to be held in or latched in open position disconnected from the action of the spring S.

Adjacent to the shoulder i of the slideplate I is a stud t, which projects through a slot m of the inner vertical portion of the hinge-frame F in the vertical central line thereof, said stud i being guided in the slot m. The lower edge of the stud 2' is provided with abutments m the lower faces of which are suitably inclined to be acted upon by levers L, which are fulcrumed at K, below the opening m, to the inside of the inner vertical. wall of the hinge-frame F. The levers L extend through slots in the sheetmetal side-plates f and are provided at their upper ends with bent-over portions Z, which are suitably arranged for convenient operation either by the foot or by the hand from either side of the door, whenever the spring-power of the spring-hinge is to be disconnected by passing the lugs i and i of the slide-plate I over the inclined faces of the lugs 71, and k of the lower springholder and tension-collar for holding the door open to one side or the other. hen the spring-power of the spring-hinge is to be restored, the lugs z" and z' of the slideplate I are returned automatically by the act of closing the door into reengagement with the vertical. faces of the lugs by forcing the lugs over the inclined faces of the lugs of the lower springholder H and of the tension-collar H against the downward resistance of the helical spring 2' of the slideplate and the angle of inclination of the lugs.

The levers L are arranged in a plane at right angles to the door and have overlapping and underlapping heel-shaped ends Z which are extended beyond their fulcrum K so as to raise the abutments m of the stud 2' of the slide-plate I when the lever L at one or the other side of the door is depressed. The lower portions of the levers are provided with stops Z and Z to limit their downward movement so that they shall not reach a dead center; when one of the levers is depressed the other lever is free to recede upwardly and inwardly till its bent-over end Z is stopped by striking against the side-plate f to prevent marring of the casing by the outwardly-projecting ends of the levers L when the door is in fully opened position.

The improved spring-hinge is operated as follows: When the projecting lugs 2' and i of the slide-plate I are in engagement with the vertical faces of the lugs k and b on the spring-holder H and tension-collar H the spring-hinge acts in the usual manner for swinging the door from its open into closed position under the recoil of the spring, but when it is desired to remove the spring-power from the hinge, either one or the other of the fulcrumed operating levers L is depressed (preferably by foot), whereby the slide-plate l with its lugs is raised by the action of one of the heels 2' of the levers L on the abutment we, so that the lugs 2' and i can be passed over to and down the inclined faces of the lug ]L5 of the lower spring-holder H and the lug 7? of the tension-collar H permitting thereby the hinge frame to swing on the pintle P disconnected from the action of the coilspring.

While the vertical faces of the lugs k and 71, of the lower spring-holder H and tension-collar H are in engagement with the lugs 2' and z of the slide-plate I, the interior pins 7& and it are in engagement with. the ends or stops 7) and p of the horizontal grooves and the parts are held in contact by the recoil of the tension of the hinge-spring S thereby retaining the door in its normally-closed position. When the door is then opened in one or the other direction the tension of the coil-spring is increased and the door is returned to its normal closed-position by the recoil of the spring when the door is released.

When the slide-plate I is raised, the lugs 23 and i are passed over and then along tne inclined faces of the lugs 7L and k being then out of engagement with the vertical faces of the lugs k and 725, so that the door is not acted upon by the coil-spring S which is locked dormant on the pintle P by the recoil of the spring forcing the interior pins 72 and 764 into the ends or stops p and p of the horizontal grooves p and 79 and the door is held in a more or less yielding open position, the degree of the yield being determined by the degree of inclination of the inclined faces of the lugs k and 72,2, modified by the strength, power or degree of resistance of the helical spring 2' of the slideplate. In case the inclination of the lugs 7L5 and 71, approaches 90 degrees, the door would be positively locked in open position until the slide-plate l is again raised by depressing one of the operating levers L. As soon as the door is moved back into closed position, the lugs i and it of the slideplate I are thereby forced to pass along and over the inclined faces and upper ends of the lugs 71 and if and to reengage thereby under the pressure of the spring t of the slide-plate I the vertical faces of said lugs, so as to restore the spring-power again to the hinge and door, and retain the door under the influence of the hin e-spring S in its normally closed position. The oper ating levers L are returned. by the action of the helical spring 2' on the abutments m and held in an upwardly-inclined position at each side of the door by the spring 2' The parts of the spring-hinge, that is to say, the spring-holder H, the coil-spring S, the spring-holder H and the tension-collar H are assembled in their proper position on the pintle P by passing the pintle P through the journal-opening in the lower portion of the hingeframe F, the vertical grooves on the pintle P serving then for permitting the slipping in of the interior pins 7L3 and if of the spring-holder H and tension-collar H into their proper position in the horizontal grooves 79 and p of the pintle P. The auxiliary pintle p is then inserted through the hole in the upper part of the hinge-frame F into the socket-hole in the upper part of the pintle P.

The support of the pintle P in rigid position in the socket Z1 of the floor-plate B and the arrangement of the horizontal grooves 792 and 77 in the upper and lower parts of the pintle P admit of a greatly simplified construction of the spring-hinge, assure the proper alinement of the vertical faces of the lugs if and it by the action of the coil-spring S upon the interior pins if and 7& of the spring-holder H and tensionccllar l 2 when the hinge is connected or disconnected from the closing action of the spring, and permit the swinging of the hingeafrarne F directly upon the pintle P" dispensing with the stationary frame used in the prior patent referred to, while at the same time a stronger and more compact construction of the hinge is obtained.

"cation which claims the hinge structure without the spring-releasing means, said application beng identified by Ser. No. 761,139,

filed April 15, 1913.

I have shown an embodiment of my invention, but changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A spring-hinge, comprisinganon-rotatable pintle secured to the floor and provided with horizontal grooves in its upper and lower portions, a hinge-frame attached to the door and journaled on said pintle, a

lower spring-holder and an upper spring-' holder on said pintle, a coil-spring engaging said spring-holders, a tensioncollar adj acent to the upper spring-holder, the lower spring-holder and the tension-collar being provided with exterior lugs and with inwardly-projecting pins engaging the horizontal grooves of the pintle, a spring-actuated slide-plate guided on the inner wall of the hinge-frame and provided with lugs at its upper and lower ends, levers fulcrumed to said hinge-frame, and means between the levers and slide-plate adapted for raising the slide-plate with its lugs out of engagement or lowering them into engagement with the exterior lugs on the lower springholder and tension-collar. a

2. A spring-hinge, comprising an oblong hinge-frame secured to the door, a floorplate, a pintle non-rotatably socketed in said floor-plate and provided with horizontal recesses in its lower and upper portions, a lower spring-holder and an upper springholder on said pintle, a coil-spring applied to said spring-holders, a. tension-collar adjacent to the upper springh'older, the lower spring-holder and the tension-collar. being -provided with exterior lugs. and with inwardly-projecting pins, a spring-actuated t slide-plate guided on the inner wall of said hinge-frame and provided with projecting lugs for engaging the lugs of the lower spring-holder and tension-collar, abutments connected with said slide-plate, operating levers fulcrumed on the hinge-frame below the abutments and adapted to raise the same together with the slide-plate from either side of the door.

3. A spring-hinge, comprising an oblong hinge-frame adapted to be secured to the door, a floor-plate provided with a socket, a pintle non-rotatably secured to said floorplate, a lower spring-holder and an upper spring-holder on said pintle, a coil-spring connected at its opposite ends with the spring-holders, a tension-collar adjacent to the upper spring-holder, said pintle being provided with vertical grooves at the upper and lower ends of the pintle and with horizontal grooves connected with "the vertical grooves, inwardly-projecting pins on the lower spring-holder and tension-collar adapted to engage said horizontal grooves, exterior lugs having straight and inclined side-faces on the lower spring-holder and tension-collar, a slide-plate guided vertically in the inner wall of the hinge-frame and provided with inwardly-projecting lugs at its lower and upper ends, guide-cheeks onthe inner wall of the hinge-frame alongside of said lugs, spring-actuated abutments connected with said slide-plate, and operating levers fulcrumed to the hinge-frame below said abutments and adapted to raise the same together with the slide-plate from either side of the door.

l. A spring-hinge, comprising an oblong frame adapted to be secured to the door, a socketed floor-plate, a pintle non-rotatably secured to said floor-plate, a lower springholder and an upper spring-holder on said pintle, the pintle being provided with lower and upper enlarged portions having vertical grooves and horizontal grooves connected therewith, a tension-collar adjacent to the upper spring-holder, exterior lugs on the lower spring-holder and the tension-collar, a coil-spring connected at opposite ends with the lower and upper springholders, inwardly-extending pins on the lower springholder and tension-collar projecting into said horizontal grooves, a spring-actuated slide-plate guided vertically in the inner wall of the frame, spring-actuated abutments guided on the inner wall of the hingeframe and connected with said slide-plate, and operating levers fulcrumed below said abutments and provided with upwardly-extending heels adapted for raising the same together with the slide-plate from either side of the door.

5. In a spring-hinge, the combination of a non-rotatable pintle, a lower spring-holder having an exterior lug with a vertical and an inclined face, an upper spring-holder, acoil-spring connected thereto, a tension-collar adjacent to the upper spring-holder and provided with an exterior lug having a vertical and an inclined face, a hinge-frame journaled on said pintle, a spring-actuated slide-plate guided on the inner wall of said hinge'frame, said slide-plate having lugs at its upper and lower ends, one lug being located to the right and the other to the left of the vertical center-line of the hingeframe, a stud on the slide-plate, abutments on'said stud, and levers fulcrumed to the inner wall of the hinge-frame below said stud and provided with upwardly-extending heels engaging said abutinents, the lugs on the slide-plate being adapted to be raised by the levers out of thepath of the lugs on the lower spring-holder and tension-collar and swung with the hinge-frame into contact with the inclined faces of the same until 7 forced back again over the inclined faces to their former position on the vertical faces when the door is closed.

6. A spring-hinge, comprising a non-rotatable pintle secured to the floor and provided with horizontal grooves in its upper and lower portions and with a socket in its upper end and an auxiliary pintle connecting the upper end of the pintle with the upper part of the hinge-frame, a hinge-frame attached to the door and ournaled on said pintle, a lower spring-holder and an upper spring-holder on said pintle, a coil-spring engaging said spring-holders, a tension-collar adjacent to the upper spring-holder, the lower spring-holder and the tension-collar being provided with exterior lugs and with inwardly-projecting pins engaging the hori- Zontal grooves of the pintle, a spring-actuated slide-plate guided on the inner wall of the hinge-frame and provided with lugs at its upper and lower ends, and means be tween the hinge-frame and slide-plate adapted for raising the lugs of the slideplate out of engagement with the exterior lugs on the lower spring-holder and tensioncollar or lowering them into engagement therewith.

7. In a spring-hinge having a movable frame and a permanently fixed pintle, the combination of spring-holders, each revoluble in one direction, a coil-spring between said holders, means on the frame for engaging both the spring-holders for tensioning the spring when the door is opened, means for disconnecting said last-named means simultaneously from both the springholders when it is desired to use the door without the spring, and means for automatically reconnecting both of said springholders when the door is brought into closed position. a

8. In a spring-hinge having a movable frame and a fixed pintle, the combination of revoluble spring-holders mounted on the pintle, a coil-spring attached to the spring holders, a tension-collar for one of the spring-holders, a lug on the tension-collar, alug on one of the spring-holders, means for disengaging the lugs from the frame for holding the door in open position, and means for automatically re'e'ngaging the lugs with the frame when closing the door.

9. In a spring-hinge, the combination of spring-actuated spring-holders, a tensioncollar for one of the spring-holders, a lug on the tension-collar, a lug on one of the springholders, each of said lugs having a vertical and an inclined face, a spring-actuated slide-plate having lugs, and levers for disengaging the lugs of the slide-plate from the vertical faces of the lugs of the springholder and tension-collar for permitting their movement over to the inclined faces of said lugs, the degree of incline of the inclined faces of said lugs of the spring-holder and tension-collar determining the amount of resistance against the closing door.

10. In a springhinge, the combination of spring-actuated spring-holders, a tension collar for one of the spring-holders, a lug on the tension-collar and a lug on one of the spring-holders, each of said lugs having a, vertical and an inclined face, a slide-plate having lugs, levers for disengaging said slide-plate lug from the vertical faces of the lugs of the spring-holder and tension-collar for permitting their movement over to the inclined faces of said lugs, and a spring on the slide-plate whose reaction is opposed to the upward movement of the lugs of the slide-plate over the inclined faces of the lugs of the spring-holder and tension-collar until the lugs of the slide-plate come into alinement with and are depressed by said spring into spring-reacting engagement with the vertical faces of the lugs of the springholder and tension-collar, the strength or resistance of the spring of the slide-plate being proportioned, in connection with the degree of incline of the inclined faces of the lugs of the spring-holder and tension-collar, to the amount of yield desired when restoring the hinge to spring-reacting engagement.

11. In a spring-hinge having a movable frame, a non-rotatively fixed pintle, revoluble springholders mounted on said pintle, a coil-spring between the spring-holders, the combination of lugs one for each springholder, each having an inclined face and a verticalface, the inclined faces being inclined in opposite directions, and a movable lug on the frame for each of said springholder lugs for engagement therewith, and adapted to ride on the corresponding inclined face and to be brought in locking engagement with the vertical face thereof.

12. In a spring-hinge having a movable frame, a non-rotatively fixed pintle, revoluble spring-holders mounted on said pintle and a coil-spring between the spring-holders; the combination of lugs one for each spring-holder each having an inclined face and a vertical face, the inclined faces being inclined in opposite directions to each other, a movable lug on the frame for each of said spring-holder lugs for engagement there with, and adapted to ride on the corresponding inclined face, and to be brought in locking engagement with the vertical face thereof, a pivoted member extending exteriorly of the frame for moving the movable lug out of engagement with the vertical face of the spring-holder lug, and a spring for returning the movable lug to locking position with the vertical face after it leaves the inclined face of the spring holder lug.

13. In a spring-hinge having a movable frame, a non-rotatively fixed pintle, revoluble springholders mounted on said pintle and a coil-spring between the spring-holders, the combination of lugs, one for each spring-holder, each having an inclined face and a vertical face, the inclined faces being inclined in opposite direction to each other, and a lug on the frame for each of said spring-holder lugs for engagement therewith and adapted to ride on the correspond ing inclined face and to be brought in locking engagement with the vertical face thereof; a connecting member movable in the frame for the said frame lugs, an abutment on the connecting member intermediate said frame lugs, members pivoted to the frame engaging said intermediate abutment for raising it, the connecting member and the lugs thereon, and a spring for returning said last-named lugs, connecting member, intermediate abutment and pivoted members to their original position.

1a. In a spring-hinge having a movable frame, a non-rotatively fixed pintle, revoluble spring-holders mounted on said pintle, a coil-spring between the spring-holders, the

combination of lugs one for each springholder, lugs on the frame for each of said spring-holder lugs, a connecting member for the last-named lugs on the frame, an abutment intermediate said lugs arranged on said connecting member, provided With oppositely inclined surfaces, members pivoted to the frame engaging said intermediate abutment for raising it, the connecting member and the lugs thereon, heels on either of said pivoted members for engaging the inclined surfaces of the intermediate abutment, stops on the lower portion of the pivoted members for limiting the movement of either thereof, and a spring for returning EMIL BOMMER. YVitnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, JOHN MURTAGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of VPatents,

Washington, D. C. 

